


hot chocolate

by weathering



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, seriously this may be one of the fluffiest things i've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 13:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11875284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weathering/pseuds/weathering
Summary: How your Ariadne shows Cullen she loves him without words.





	hot chocolate

There is a small red tin on the bookshelf behind Ari’s desk, hidden amongst the books. When she asks Josephine to order it for her, after a week of turning the idea around in her mind, the ambassador raises an eyebrow at her.

“…have you suddenly developed a sweet tooth?” Josie asks, and Ari scowls at her, feeling an uncharacteristic blush rising in her cheeks.

“You know very well that I have not,” she mutters, glancing off to the side so she can try to ignore Josie’s smirk, “Please just order it?”

Ari is halfway out the door, embarrassment still burning at the back of her neck, when Josie calls out after her.

“He’ll appreciate it, Ari.”

 

 

It’s a few weeks later when Cullen comes stumbling into her quarters, still in full armour, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. Ari looks up from the report she’s reading and makes a concerned noise in the back of her throat, already unwinding her legs from the blanket so she can stand.

“Hey Puppy. Rough day?” she asks, keeping her voice low and quiet even though she's still standing a few steps away. Her hands hover at her sides as she suppresses the urge to reach out to him, just in case it’s something more than a stress headache.

Cullen lets out an annoyed sigh and drops his hand from his face. “Training today was…trying,” he grumbles, and Ari makes herself relax before she steps forward to press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth, hand briefly rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the tension that's built up there.

“Get that armour off. I have something that I think will help.”

“Oh?” Cullen says, quirking an eyebrow at her half heartedly. She tosses a smirk and a wink over her shoulder as she heads back towards her desk, grabbing the kettle and a mug off the table in the process.

“Maybe later, if you play your cards right,” she laughs, and pulls the tin off the bookshelf, the sound hidden by the clanking the armour is making behind her.

By the time she’s taking the kettle out from over the fire and is pouring the contents into a mug, Cullen is collapsed on the sofa, feet up on the table with one arm slung over his face. She walks over to him and holds out the mug, nudging his leg with her own to get his attention.

“Here. Drink this,” Ari says, pressing the mug into his outstretched hand.

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth as Cullen takes his arm off his eyes, making no effort to open them. He brings the mug to his face, stopping suddenly when the smell hits his nose. His eyes fly open and he looks at the mug and then at Ari, a look of astonishment on his face.

“Is this…?” he asks, and she nods, still chewing on the corner of her lip.

He takes a sip, careful of how hot it still is, and a wide grin crosses his face. Ari can’t help but smile back at him, not when his eyes are crinkling at the edges, unrecognisable from the frustration that had been hanging over him when he’d shown up. She settles down next to him, close enough so she can lean against his side, legs tucked under her. Cullen makes a content noise as he takes another sip.

“I haven’t had hot chocolate in years. How did you get it?” he asks after a few moments, voice relaxed and warm. “Did someone gift you some?”

“Something like that,” she responds, tucking a loose braid back behind her ear with one hand as she flips through a report she’s not reading with the other.

“…Ari,” Cullen says, stern, but he can't keep his face serious when she makes eye contact with him. The delighted smile returns, and he leans down to kiss her. “Thank you.”

She smiles back at him. Cullen kisses her again, making her laugh softly.

“Of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> Requested on tumblr by @faslaidir because she wanted fluff. So for "how they show their partner they love them without words" for Ari (even if she doesn't know that she loves him quite yet)
> 
> I'm onesparrow on tumblr, if you want to come say hello.


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